Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) are saccular responses
to loud acoustic stimuli and are recordable from the sterno-cleido-mastoid
muscle ipsilaterally to the stimulated ear. This study aimed to investigate
VEMPs in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS), and to compare
these findings with both clinical and instrumental data.

VEMPs were abnormal in 31%, BAEPs in 38% and SVV in 21% of the patients.
Saccadic eye movements showed a possible brainstem dysfunction in 44.4%
of the patients. There was no correlation between the occurrence of abnormalities
and the technical means of detection. The same held true for correlations
with clinical data, with the exception of the BAEPs; these proved to be
more frequently abnormal in patients presenting at neurological examination
with brainstem and/or cerebellar signs that were possibly related to the
complaint of dizziness.

CONCLUSIONS:

VEMPs should be considered a useful complementary neurophysiological
tool for the evaluation of brainstem dysfunction.